Accounts Payable Specialist Resume Guide with free download

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As an Accounts Payable Specialist, data entry and preparing documents is your strong suit, but has that translated into successful resume writing? If it hasn’t, take a look at our professional resume templates and use a free template that pays.

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If you’re interested in becoming an accounts payable specialist, pay attention: you’ll find plenty of details here to show you exactly what you need to do to put together a strong Accounts Payable resume.

From education to experience, you’ll learn how to list your assets and accrue the attention of hiring managers, so your resume stands out from among the many resumes for Accounts Payable specialists that are seen every day.

For the most balanced resume, you’ll need to consider:

• What is the best resume format to use?
• Will I need a resume summary or objective?
• Which Accounts Payable skills resume would work best?

If you present this information in the right way on your application, you’ll be better placed to get a great return on your resume-building investment!

To make sure that investment pays off you can make use of our resume templates to ensure that your application best suits your skills and experience.

There’s plenty of value in seeing an example of a resume before you start yours, so here’s a detailed sample for your benefit.

Apart from looking at a robust example, using our resume builder can help set you on the right path.

Accounts Payable Specialist Resume Sample

Resume Example

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[Sally Ledger]

[Accounts Payable Specialist]

[ NY 11110   |   555-555-5555   |   sally.ann.ledger1989@randomemail.com]

Summary

Experienced accounts payable specialist with proven skills in accuracy, time management, and attention to detail. Demonstrated ability to process 10,000+ invoices per month, deliver timely and accurate financial and audit reports, and communicate efficiently with vendors, creditors, and shareholders. Competency with QuickBooks, SAP, Zoho Books, and other accounting tools.

Experience

Accounts Payable Assistant Manager

04/2019 – Present

The Party Pros, Setauket, NY

• Managed a high-volume accounts payable workload, processing an average of 800 invoices per month with 99% accuracy, ensuring on-time payments and minimizing financial discrepancies.
• Implemented a vendor evaluation system, resulting in a 25% reduction in late payments and improved vendor satisfaction ratings.
• Led the transition from manual check payments to electronic payment methods, reducing processing time by 30% and saving the company $20,000 annually in check printing and postage costs.
• Developed and implemented a streamlined invoice approval process, reducing invoice processing time by 40% and enhancing efficiency within the accounts payable department.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to implement a new accounts payable software system, resulting in a 20% increase in productivity and improved data accuracy.

Accounts Payable Clerk

06/2016 – 03/2019

Soup to Nuts, Nesconset, NY

• Managed system used to track invoices and financial records, implementing a new methodology which increased efficiency by 30%
• Processed all payment transactions via cash, check, and credit.
• Oversaw inventory audits.
• Identified and resolved payment statement discrepancies.

Education

Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance

Pace University – New York, NY

2016

Skills

• Accounting procedures
• Budget development
• Data entry and math skills
• Organizational skills
• Strong communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Time management

Certifications

• Certified Public Accountant

• Certified Bookkeeper (NACPB)

Choosing how to format a resume correctly can often take work. You may think highlighting skills over experience or vice-versa won’t make a difference, but it certainly does. 

You can go with several choices of formats:

1. Reverse-chronological
2. Functional
3. Hybrid

When it comes to Accounts Payable Specialists, the preferred layout is reverse-chronological.

In fact, more than 60% of employer respondents to the NACE’s Job Outlook 2023 Report stated they are searching for evidence of candidates’ abilities to solve problems and work in a team.

That means if you’ve got experience, it’s time to show it off, as hiring managers want to see evidence of your knowledge and handling of the following:

• Vendor management: Highlight effective communication, negotiation, and supplier partnership skills.
• Software proficiency: Showcase proficiency in accounting software relevant to accounts payable, indicating your ability to adapt quickly to new systems.
• Attention to detail: Display your meticulousness and accuracy in maintaining precise financial records, processing invoices, and reconciling payments.
• High Volume processing: Include experience in efficiently handling large volumes of invoices and meeting deadlines consistently.
• Financial regulations: Demonstrate knowledge and application of GAAP or IFRS, ensuring compliance and accurate reporting.

If you can manage to list your industry knowledge and progression in an organized way you’ll have a job-winning resume. 

To begin to show off these qualities you’ll need to grab the hiring manager’s attention with a well-drafted summary or objective statement. 

A career objective or professional summary is the first entry that a hiring manager will see on a resume. 

Pick out your best achievements from your work history and education and inject those details into your objective or summary.

Remember: eye-grabbing details and accomplishments work best in summaries or objectives.

Not exactly the chart of accounts that would entice a hiring manager to get you in on an interview. How many years of experience? How did you successfully communicate with fellow employees and vendors? What payment processes do you use? What were your particular accomplishments?

Your summary or objective must answer questions, not generate them!

Following are some Accounts Payable resume summary examples done the right way.

This summary effectively highlights the candidate’s experience as an accomplished Accounts Payable Specialist, emphasizing their ability to process payments accurately and streamline vendor payment processes. 

It lists their achievements in cost savings and increased accuracy, as well as their problem-solving skills and proficiency in relevant accounting software (QuickBooks and Xero).

How to Craft an Engaging Accounts Payable Specialist Objective

Depending on your work history, or lack thereof, you may want to go with an objective statement. This is a great choice if you want to provide an employer with a statement about your motivation and transferable skills. 

For example:

That’s a job-winning objective! 

The objective captures the candidate’s aspirations and provides a clear direction for their career path as an Accounts Payable Specialist.

For Experience, list your jobs in chronological order, with the most recent first. 

Under your title, name of the company, and dates, use a bulleted list to detail job responsibilities and any achievements, such as “reconciled payment statements with 98.6% accuracy” or “reduced payment errors by 88% through increased communications with vendors.”

Remember, be detailed and specific in your job responsibilities.

These specific metrics demonstrate the candidate’s achievements and the impact of their work in areas such as accuracy, efficiency, and vendor management. 

It’s clear to see that this sample section does a good job of listing the applicant’s responsibilities and expertise.

Any deviation from providing a detailed work history and thorough job responsibilities  could result in your resume being a liability rather than the asset you need it to be.

If you are brand new to the sector because you have just graduated or are changing fields we have some great news for you!

You can still impress hiring managers without experience. 

However, you have to go about it the right way.

As an entry-level applicant, you should:

• Use a resume objective
• Use a functional format
• Highlight your skills 
• Show any quantifiable data from an internship or volunteer work

If you are changing careers you can also try to come up with transferable skills to list on your resume. 

Sample Entry-Level Accounts Payable Resume

Seeking to land your first accounts payable position? Below is an example of a resume for those who have not yet accrued much experience in the field.

resume Example

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[John Counterman]

[SC 29404  |   888-888-8888   |  countermanjc44sc@randomemail.com]

[Accounts Payable Trainee]

Career Objective

Ambitious management professional with strong bookkeeping skills and extensive knowledge of accounting systems and processes. Solid experience in spreadsheets, invoice processing, inventory management, and Microsoft Office. Strong math, problem-solving, customer service, and communication skills that would prove beneficial in vendor negotiations, accounts payable discrepancy resolution, accurate financial records, and financial statement reconciliation.

Experience

Shipping/Receiving Manager

Horton-Who Corporation, Charleston, South Carolina

10/2018 to Present

• Maintained inventory at two warehouse locations.
• Generated daily manifest for picking/packing orders.
• Reduced shipping costs by 15% by obtaining quotes from various LTL carriers 
• Managed staff of four pickers/packers and two inventory clerks.
• Processed payment for all vendor invoices.
• Communicated with vendors to resolve invoice and payment discrepancies.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Accounting, 

North Carolina State University – Raleigh, NC

2020

Relevant coursework:

• Financial management
• Managerial accounting
• Auditing and assurance services
• Concepts of financial reporting
• Intermediate financial accounting
• Accounting information systems
• Data-based decision making

Skills

• Staff development
• Customer satisfaction
• General bookkeeping skills
• Attention to detail
• Organizational and planning
• Written and oral communication
• Proficient using Square Invoices

Moving on, it’s time to audit the Skills section of your resume.

Do you know your way around a purchase order? Can you fill out an expense report? Are you able to review invoices?

These are some of the hard skills that an employer would be on the lookout for in an Accounts Payable Specialist candidate.

Don’t forget to account for your soft skills as well. There are a few that will stand out on a resume for Accounts Payable Sanager, Specialist, or Coordinator, such as organizational skills.

If analytical skills in your strength, and you’re an expert in various types of accounting and bookkeeping software, you might add a separate list of those technical skills:

• SAP
• Quickbooks
• Xero
• Sage
• FreshBooks
• Oracle NetSuite

A nice balance between hard and soft skills, with possibly an added list of technical know-how, will certainly prop up your resume.

But we’re not quite closing the books on this resume guide just yet.

Some people might not know their assets from their expenses, but everyone should know that having the right education is extremely important in this sector of work.

You should add that you received a degree, but don’t add your GPA unless it’s over 3.6, and don’t add any information unrelated to being an Accounts Payable Specialist.

Experienced candidates (as well as in other business and accounting related professions, such as business analyst or financial analyst) can simply add the Education section like this:

Education Section for Inexperienced Candidates

On the other hand, if you do not have much or any experience in the field, you can add some equity to your Education section. In this situation, the entry might look more like the below example. You can include your relevant coursework, projects and student associations.

As an inexperienced Accounts Payable Specialist, take the time to invest in your education section to give hiring managers all the details that help to make you a star candidate.

Another way to gain an edge on the competition? Add any related certifications or achievements. You may also be a member of an official organization or association, which demonstrates that you are interested in what you do and will likely be motivated to keep improving.

Memberships

Being a member of a professional organization shows your dedication to and interest in the field, and your resume can surely profit from this information

Some organizations and associations you might list are:

• Accounts Payable Association (APA)
• Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)
• International Accounts Payable Professionals (IAPP)
• National Association of Purchasing & Payables (NAPP)
• National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB)

Professional Certifications

Relevant professional certifications, awards, and achievements are some details that can add equity to your resume.

Some notable certifications you should add in your extra section would be:

• Certified Accounts Payable Professional (CAPP)
• Certified Accounts Payable Associate (CAPA)
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• NACPB Bookkeeping Certification
• NACPB Accounting Analysis certification
• NACPB QuickBooks Online certification

Volunteering, Hobbies & Interests

Generally, volunteer experiences and hobbies/interests can be added here if they are relevant to the Accounts Payable role. Have you served as treasurer of a community organization? Are you creating Excel spreadsheets to help your elderly neighbours with their personal finances? 

Even if your hobbies and interests do not exactly match the role of an Accounts Payable role or accounting practices, you might be able to put them in. use your common sense, and furthermore, it never hurts to display diversification on your resume!

Those are the kind of summaries and objectives that could show potential employers that you will be a credit to their accounts department.

Now that you have all the details about how to create an effective Accounts Payable Specialist resume, filled with all of your assets and covering all variables, you’re ready to go!

Remember, to generate the most accurate and effective resume, be sure to follow these steps:

• Lead off with a powerful career objective or professional summary.
• Detail past work duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments in the Experience section, including metrics and measurable achievements.
• Include relevant coursework and projects if you have no prior accounts payable experience.
• Highlight your skills over experience if you are just starting out
• Include any relevant awards, achievements, memberships, or hobbies/interests in the extra sections.

Once you know the ideal way to write a resume that shows potential employers your present value and that you’ll provide a great return on investment, you should be a lock to be a top candidate for any accounts payable position.